NOW, WHAT'S NEXT? There's something to be said about making a fresh start, embracing a new year and marking the start of a new Chamber term. Although we aren't going to run around kissing everyone at the stroke of midnight, we are going to give you a little more insight into What's Next? Appropriately so, the theme of the 2016 - 2017 Chamber year is What's Next?, a look into the future of our City, Chamber, business community and beyond. We also welcome our new Chair to the helm, John R. Allen, Jr., Vice President of Operations at Home Financing Center. For those of you that don't know John, here's the rundown. He's a third generation Miamian, born and raised in The City Beautiful and received his degree from the University of Miami. His ties to Coral Gables run deep. John has served on the Boards of the Coral Gables Art Cinema, the Coral Gables
IN THIS ISSUE:
Community Foundation and Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Over the course of the next year, John hopes to stengthen the connection between our membership and the community, encourage you to make and fulfill your commitment to a local organization and to ignite civility... what we like to call the "Three C's." Having just wrapped up our high-impact, high-energy Annual Conference, which took place on August 25th and 26th at The Biltmore Hotel, there's no slowing down now! We move right into a Chamber year jam-packed with events, activities, initiatives and most importantly, progress. As a Chamber we aim to ignite the future, re-define business, encourage you to find your passion, build a legacy and discover the next BIG idea. So, What's Next? You tell us!
Scenes from this year's Annual Conference!
Thoughts from our Chair Page 2 President’s Perspective Page 3 Trustee Talk
Page 5
Upcoming Events
Page 6
Membership Highlights Page 8 Calendar of Events
Page 9
Sponsor Recognition
Page 10
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
THOUGHTS FROM OUR CHAIR 2016 - 2017 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Allen
Chair of the Board, CGCC Home Financing Center johna@homefinancingcenter.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board John Allen, Home Financing Center, Inc. Chair-Elect Martha de la Pena Rojas, Florida Blue First Vice Chairman Patrick O’Connell, EWM Realty International Treasurer Ana Chaoui, Coconut Grove Bank Parliamentarian Carlos Garcia, Hancock Askew & Co., LLP Immediate Past Chairman Wayne Eldred, Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill Vice Chairman-Global Business Affairs Arthur Freyre, Poblete Tamargo LLP Vice Chairman-Community Affairs Jon Ridley, Honeywell Vice Chairman-Business & Economic Dev. Nelson Penalver, LOI Marketing, Inc. Vice Chairman-Member Affairs Sara Hernandez, Bank of the Ozarks Vice Chairman-Special Events Jessica Wilcox, J. Wilcox Consulting Vice Chairman-Gov’t & Legislative Affairs Bruce Bounds, Bounds Law Offices Trustee Council Chair Brian Barakat, Barakat Law, P.A. Chairman’s Appointee Nelson Lazo, Doctors Hospital President & CEO Mark A. Trowbridge
A great time was had by all! If you did not attend our “What’s Next?” Annual Conference on August 25th and 26th, you missed an outstanding event! Starting with the George E. Merrick Awards Dinner, a special congratulations to former Coral Gables Mayor Dorothy H. Thomson for taking home the top honor! The following day’s Conference was packed with events! Beginning with a breakfast welcome by Brian Keeley, President & CEO of Baptist Health, followed by remarks from UM Head Football Coach Mark Richt, and featuring Evan Benn, Editor-in-Chief of Indulge Magazine as our keynote speaker, this program was a real hit! Six break-out sessions followed throughout the day on such relevant topics as What’s Next in the Sharing Economy, What’s Next For Your (On-line) Reputation, What’s Next in Health Care, What’s Next in Transportation, What’s Next For YOU and concluding with What’s Next in Innovation? As your new Chairman of our great Chamber, I am humbled to be entrusted with helping lead us down our path of continued growth during the following year and toward our centennial in 2025. I am truly fortunate to have the support of a remarkable Board who I am greatly looking forward to working with. There will be many exciting activities taking place through this Chamber Year, including the Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue streetscape project, six major Chamber award ceremonies during the year, and much more. The backbone to “What’s Next?” is what I call the “Three Cs” – COMMUNITY – being a part of your community helps build the community, COMMITMENT – being all-in, all the time, and CIVILITY – going back to the golden rule of treating others the way you would like to be treated. With that in mind, I can promise you that “What’s Next” will be a terrific year for all of us!
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Last, but certainly not least, sincere thanks to my predecessors as Chair for paving the way, and to Mark Trowbridge, Erica, Ivette and the rest of the Chamber staff that is second to none in their hard work and dedication to our efforts! Here’s to a remarkable year of
"What's Next" ahead! Sincerely,
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Elected-term expires 2017 Andria Hanley (Camillus House) Raquel Hickey (Alfalit International Inc.) Matthias Kammerer (The Biltmore Hotel) Barbara Norland (YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade Inc.) Anabella Smith (Zyscovich Architects) Elected-term expires 2018 Thad Adams (The Allen Morris Company) Nikki Deas (Vine Communications) Charles Knight (Florida Power & Light) Yesenia Moreno (Albion Staffing Solutions, Inc.) Rene Negron (AXA Advisors, LLC)
Elected-term expires 2019 Pilar Araoz (Smiles & Sonrisas) Amy Donner (Miami’s Community Newspapers) Christie Grays (Baptist Health South Florida) Zachary Sulkes (Bacardi USA) Nicole Waters (Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables) Chairman’s Appointees-term expires 2017 Frank Fernandez (BankUnited) Alex Jimenez (Apollo Bank) Christopher Spuches (Ehrenstein Charbonneau Calderin Attorneys at Law) Cinthya Urena (City National Bank) EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS City of Coral Gables Commissioner Patricia Keon City of Coral Gables Javier Betancourt, Director Business Improvement District F. Michael Steffens (Neville Steffens Architects, PA) Coral Gables Community Foundation Mary Snow Tellam, Executive Director The Beacon Council of Miami-Dade
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE - BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Mark A. Trowbridge
President & CEO Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce mtrowbridge@coralgableschamber.org
Ever since our City Beautiful first created a formal Art in Public Plac es program, I have eagerly await ed the arrival of our first officially commissioned art installation. Sure, we have beautiful sculptures and eclectic art dotting the landscape of the City – many with incredible stories and histories of their own – but this was going to be big and new and the first of its kind.
With our roots deeply embedded in the native flora of our region, this towering passion flower is a reminder of our past and our future. The colors, the intricate intertwined structure, the massive bloom, the bold yearning for sunlight – not to mention the misting element – drew me in. And, the reflection in the pool adds to the depth of the sculpture and all that it represents (there is no end). I must say, its location at the roundabout is perfect, as it allows the viewer to take in all 360 degrees of her mass. A flower should be admired, embraced and revered.
But the best aspect of this installation is the lonely flower bud located in the north circle. This litAs a reminder of our passion for art, think of the tle fellow sits all alone and has broken away from shoes in Cartagena Plaza or the impressive pome- its comfort zone, from all that it has ever known, granate from Granada (both gifts from Sister Cit- from the security of the massive flower from ies), the omnipresent pink snails, the painted whence it came. flamingos on Miracle Mile and even Mr. Merrick himself watching over our City Hall holding the It is the hope that springs eternal, forging a new original rolled-up plans of our great City in his path and laying down roots of its own that will one day grow and bloom. This little bud is our hand. future – it is What’s Next! And now, during the course of this summer, a new arrival in the Segovia Circles between Coral Way Oh how I marvel at the cycle of life in all creaand Biltmore Way has captured our attention: Al- tures, great or small. It is not only a metaphor of opportunity and hope, it is a reminder that we all ice Aycock’s Passion Flower. play a role in our own futures and in many ways, I must admit, I was as intrigued as you when I saw future generations. the installation begin. Yes, I had seen renderings, read about the incredible number of submissions It is what communities are built upon – it is the and heard of the diligent work of the committee very foundation of our future and our collective success. in selecting Ms. Aycock for the assignment. So for those of you not quite feeling the warm and I also saw her work in NYC on a visit along Park fuzzies, give it some time, allow yourself to fall in Avenue last year. I was honestly thrilled that an love. I promise you, you will be glad you did. international artist of her caliber wanted to come to Coral Gables and bring her creativity and talents to The City Beautiful. It speaks volumes to our draw and reputation as a community that appreciates art. To say that the renderings held my attention is a fair statement. But to see this flower in full bloom in our City makes my heart sing. Every time I drive by the massive flower, I fall more in love. I understand that many of our locals have not quite been bitten by the love bug…yet. In fact, there has been quite a bit of fodder about the new flower, including petitions and online surveys. But just like true love, it can take time to fall. I, however, am a love at first sight kind of guy. coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
TRUSTEE TALK Brian Barakat
Chair, Trustee Council Barakat Law, P.A. brian@triallawmiami.com
TRUSTEE EVENTS: JULY - AUGUST
Welcome to the new 2016-2017 Chamber year. This year is going to be fun, if I have anything to say about it! However, before we get moving, I am sending out a call for new Trustee Diplomats. Criteria: The candidate must be an awesome, friendly, reliable and exemplary Trustee Member of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce. Job Description: Trustee Diplomats are tasked with improv- Trustee Members wrapped up another fantastic thChamber year at the Trustee Invitational & Interactive Luncheon on July 27 at The Biltmore Hotel. ing the Trustee Member experience. We offer to help new and existing members by providing them opportunities for engagement, introductions and support. We attend each Trustee Luncheon and Trustee Reception, and other events as our schedule permits. On the first Wednesday of each month we meet at 9:00 AM at the Chamber office to develop a plan of action for each month, network amongst each other and brainstorm ideas for future events. If this sounds like your cup of Bacardi and Coke, reach out to me. We already have a fantastic group of industry leaders. Now is your chance to be counted among them! Here are the new Trustee Diplomats who have already committed to serving for 2016-2017 Chamber year:
• Janel Allen, Miami Today • Talia Capistrano, EPGD Attorneys as Law • Jessica Cerda-Antomarchi, Jr. Orange Bowl • Lisa Gonzalez, Gibraltar Private Bank • Christopher Haake, Morays Jewelers • Adam Lakowitz, OptFirst Inc. • Christina Pappas, The Keyes Company • Tom Weinkle, Vortex Communications • Brian Barakat, Barakat Law, P.A., Chair
Past Chair Wayne Eldred, Chef and Owner of Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill, walked our Trustee Members through a sizzling three-course meal. Our favorite dish, the AREPAS!
If you want to join this team reach out to me directly. Our next Trustee Reception will take place Tuesday, September 13, 2016 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Join us in the courtyard at Avila, Rodriguez, Hernandez, Mena & Ferri LLP located at 2525 Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Don’t forget our Trustee Luncheon at the Biltmore Hotel, Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 11:30 AM featuring Tyler Johnson, Udonis Trustee Members Johnny Haslem and Beno Udrih of your Miami HEAT - note date Knowles of Photo Offset, Inc., Drew Kern of EWM change! Finally, I’d like to thank Nicole Waters for all her hard work and dedication last year. As I gear up for this year, I thank her for the time and effort she dedicated to improving my experience as a Trustee.
Mother always said you shouldn't play with your food. We caught Eric Gros-Dubois, Trustee Member and former Diplomat, doing just that!
2015 - 2016 Chair of the Trustee Diplomats, Nicole Waters, says her farewell at the last Trustee Reception of the Chamber year at Nickalus Children's Hospital, sponsored by Intermedia Touch, Inc.
Realty International, Adam Lakowitz of OptFirst and Anibal Fernandez of Photo Offset, network the night away, at our Trustee Reception!
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
SAVE THESE IMPORTANT DATES Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - Noon Tuesday, September 20, 2016 - 11:15 AM RE-Connect Luncheon Note date change! Location: Morton’s the Steakhouse Trustee Luncheon featuring our Miami HEAT 2333 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Coral Gables Location: The Biltmore Hotel Sponsors: Barakat Law, P.A., EPGD Attorneys at Law, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables Michael Forman, DOM, P.A., Sora Global Insurance & Sponsor: Doctors Hospital Consulting Featuring: Udonis Haslem, Tyler Johnson, Beno Udrih & Speaker: Efrain Sora, Sora Global Insurance & Consulting Alonzo Mourning Cost: $25 Per-Person Cost: $45 Trustee Members by 9/16; $55 On-site RegisOnline payment and registration is now required in tration & Guests; $500 Reserved VIP Table of 10 advance! Wednesday, September 21, 2016 - 3:45 PM Wednesday, September 7, 2016 - 5:30 PM IMPACT: A Seminar Series for Small Business Wind Down Wednesday Is Your Business Doing Well(ness)? Location: OBBA Sushi & More Location: Fetes & Events 160 Andalusia Avenue, Coral Gables 270 Catalonia Avenue, Coral Gables Sponsors: MAPFRE Insurance & The Keyes Company Sponsor: Mercantil Commercebank, N.A. Cost: $25 Chamber Members by 9/2; Bites Provided By: Vicky Bakery Coral Gables $35 On-site Registration & Guests Presented By: James Drake, Owner, Iron Tribe Coral Gables Cost: $25 Chamber Members; $35 Guests Friday, September 9, 2015 - 11:30 AM Joint Chamber Luncheon Wednesday, September 28, 2016 - 11:30 AM Location: Sonesta Coconut Grove Note date change! 2889 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove Women’s Business Network Luncheon In Partnership With: Coral Gables Chamber of ComLocation: Hyatt Regency Coral Gables merce, Coconut Grove Chamber of Commerce, Key 50 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables Biscayne Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Miami & Sponsor: UHealth Brickell Chamber of Commerce Speaker: Dr. Felicia Knaul, Director of the Miami InstiFeaturing: Bob Pritchard, Los Angeles based business- tute for the Americas (MIA), Miller School of Medicine man, entrepreneur and marketing consultant and the College of Arts Cost: $45 Chamber Members; $50 General Admission; $55 Guests Cost: $40 Chamber Member by 9/16; Visit coconutgrovechamber.com/events, to register. $50 On-Site Registration & Guests Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - 5:30 PM Trustee Reception Exclusively for our Trustees! Sponsored & Hosted By: Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri LLP 2525 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Courtyard Complimentary registration for Trustee Members Thursday, September 15, 2015 - 7:30 AM Good Morning Coral Gables Location: The Biltmore Hotel 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables Sponsor: UHealth & the Chamber’s Board of Directors Featuring: Dr. Mario Stevenson, Professor in the Department of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Director of the University of Miami AIDS Institute, Director of the Global Virus Network at the University of Miami and Co-Director of the Center for AIDS Research, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Topic: The Buzz About Zika Cost: $25 Chamber Members by 9/9; $35 Members OnSite; $40 Guests
Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - 5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday Location: Swine Southern Table & Bar 2415 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables Sponsors: MAPFRE Insurance & The Keyes Company Cost: $25 Chamber Members by 9/30; $35 On-site Registration & Guests Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 7:30 AM Good Morning Coral Gables Location: The Biltmore Hotel 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables Sponsor: Junior Orange Bowl Featuring: Mayor Jim Cason Topic: State of The City Beautiful Address Cost: $25 Chamber Members by 10/14; $35 Members On-Site; $40 Guests Thursday, October 27, 2016 - 5:30 PM Chairman's Reception Location: The Biltmore Hotel 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables To purchase a display table contact Erica Simons at esimons@coralgableschamber.org
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS
SPONSORSHIP / INVESTOR HALL OF FAME Through August 2016
July - August 2016
$5,000 and Above • The Allen Morris Company • AXA Advisors, LLC • Bacardi USA • Baptist Health South Florida • Bay Plumbing Company • Brown-Forman Beverages • Business Improvement District of Coral Gables • City of Coral Gables • City National Bank • Doctors Hospital • EWM Realty International • FirstBank Florida • Florida Blue • Florida Power & Light
• Gulliver Schools • Hancock Askew & Co., LLP • Home Financing Center, Inc. • LOI Marketing, Inc. • Marquis Bank • Mercantil Commercebank, N.A. • Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables • Miami Herald • Photo Offset, Inc. • South Motors BMW • Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill • University of Miami • UHealth
$2,500 - $4,999 • Apollo Bank • BankUnited • BDI • Caviar, LLC • Coconut Grove Bank • Ehrenstein Charbonneau Calderin Attorneys at Law
• Espirito Santo Marketing Solutions • Gulliver Schools • Samuel Adams - Boston Beer Company • SAV
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18/8 Fine Men's Salon of Coral Gables Alpha-1 Foundation Alvarez Barbara, LLP Amazing Lash Studio Artful Fashions L.L.C. Beauchamp Construction Company Bounds Law Offices Café Curuba Cold Spring Capital Group Copper 29 DietSpotLight, LLC Elite Aesthetics Group, LLC Energy Systems Group Ernesto Martinez, Jr., P.A. Evolution Smiles/Dr. Diana Ayala, DDS Family Resource Center of South Florida, Inc. Fetes & Events Financial Institution Advisory Group, Inc. Florana, Inc. Florida International University Online FLORIDIAN PUBLIC ADJUSTERS HV DESIGNS Infiniti of Coral Gables Interim HealthCare LuxLoanz, Inc. Lynx Companies MBAF, LLC - Frank Gonzalez Melinda Goncalves CPA PA Miami Airport Marriott Miami-Dade College Foundation Ocean Bank Office Depot Propel Marketing Santa Cruz & Floyd, LLC Select Properties of America, Inc. Shula's 347 Grill South Florida Landlord/Tenant Center Southern Audio Visual Teresa Safie Real Estate Victoria & Associates Career Services, Inc. Water Biking Studio Weiss, Alden & Polo, P.A. Working Title, LLC World Strategic Forum * BOLD denotes Trustee member
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
EVENTS CALENDAR
‘16
September | October
Monday
Tuesday
29
Wednesday
30
5
6
8:00 AM Global Business Affairs Committee Meeting
12
Friday
31
1 2 8:00 AM 8:30 AM Chairman’s Ambassadors Trow Knows... CEOs Committee Meeting featuring Jill Deupi, 9:00 AM Lowe Art Museum Women’s Business Network Committee Meeting
7 8 9 12:00 PM 11:30 AM 8:00 AM RE-Connect Luncheon M-Team Committee Meeting Joint Chamber Luncheon 5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday
OFFICE CLOSED
Thursday
13
5:30 PM Trustee Reception
8:00 AM 14 15 Business & Gov’t Affairs 7:30 AM Committee Meeting 9:00 AM Good Morning Coral Gables Cultural Affairs 9:15 AM Committee Meeting 20/30 Group 4:00 PM Small Business Committee Meeting Committee Meeting
16
19 8:00 AM 20 21 22 3:45 PM S.E.E. Green 8:00 AM IMPACT: A Seminar Series Committee Meeting Business & Education for Small Business Committee Meeting 11:15 AM Trustee Luncheon note date change
23
26
27 28 11:30 AM WBN Luncheon note date change
30
3
4
5 8:00 AM 6 7 Chairman’s Ambassadors 8:00 AM Committee Meeting Keyes Company Golf Classic @Crandon Golf Course 9:00 AM 5:30 PM Wind Down Wednesday Women's Business Network Committee Meeting 12:00 PM RE-Connect Luncheon
8:00 AM Global Business Affairs Committee Meeting
8:00 AM 12 13 Business & Gov’t Affairs 9:00 AM 8:00 AM Committee Meeting Chamber 101 9:00 AM M-Team Committee Meeting Cultural Affairs Committee Meeting 4:00 PM Small Business Committee Meeting
10 5:30 PM Trustee Reception
11
17
18
8:00 AM S.E.E. Green Committee Meeting 11:30 AM WBN Luncheon
24 31
29
19 20 7:30 AM 3:45 PM Good Morning Coral Gables IMPACT: A Seminar Series 9:15 AM for Small Business 20/30 Group Committee Meeting
25
26
8:00 AM Business & Education Committee Meeting
27
5:30 PM Chairman's Reception
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016
14
21
28
SPONSORSHIP RECOGNITION WIND DOWN WEDNESDAY JULY
GOOD MORNING CORAL GABLES
AUGUST
SERIES SPONSOR
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK LUNCHEON
JULY
JULY
AUGUST
TRUSTEE INTERACTIVE & INVITATIONAL LUNCHEON
TRUSTEE RECEPTION AUGUST
IMPACT SEMINAR SERIES
JULY
RE-CONNECT LUNCH
BOOGIE NIGHTS / SUMMER SCREENING
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
coralgableschamber.org │ CHAMBER CONNECTION │September - October 2016